Utah Guard Troops Head to Border

None by KCPW

55 Soldiers Among First to Join Operation Jump Start

(KCPW News) Approximately 55 soldiers from the Utah National Guard are headed to the U.S.-Mexico border. Major Hank McIntyre says the Utah soldiers are among the first guard troops to participate in the new border security initiative.

"This is actually an existing, pre-planned mission to go down to the border for some engineering projects," says McIntyre. "The timing turned out that they will fall under the umbrella of Operation Jump Start which is the effort President Bush has called for to put troops along the border."

The Utah National Guard soldiers will spend two weeks near Yuma, Arizona and the mission will be paid for by the federal government as part of Operation Jump Start. McIntyre says they will extend an existing fence, add improved lighting in the border crossing area and finish work on a stretch of road. They are among about 400 soldiers who are at the border doing similar projects.

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